


Stark.

by patrioticstark



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-28
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-07-18 18:53:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16124627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/patrioticstark/pseuds/patrioticstark
Summary: Being a child of a celebrity was always going to be difficult but being the child of genius, playboy, billionaire, philanthropist Tony Stark was a oneway ticket to hell.





	1. Introduction

She shut the door quietly behind her and sat in front of the soldier, placing both hands onto the table as she did so.

It wasn't the first time she'd been sat in this room. However, it was the first she'd been there sans Coulson or Hill. It was honestly as surprising to her as it was to them when Fury agreed to let her go alone - given her lack of experience.

She stared confidently at the man before her as he took in her appearance - almost as if he was trying to analyse her entire personality just from looking at her. 

He spoke first. "You're the actress from that set."

She laughed quietly and smiled, "Try 'agent', Captain Rogers."

He scoffed. "You're not exactly the agent type."

"What exactly is the 'agent type'?" Her smile gone, she sat forward in her chair.

"A person who fights and is willing to lay down their life for their country." A minute flash of pain seemed to cross his expression as if he was recalling a previously forgotten memory.

"Being an agent entails a number of different tasks, Captain. It's all about turning up to work and following orders. I think someone like you should respect that."

The pair resumed their previous silence. She crossed her legs and leant back in her chair again, trying to look at ease in a situation that was far from comfortable. 

"Why you?" He asked without looking at her, instead glaring at the oneway mirror to his left.

"Why me what? Why am I an agent?"

"Why are you the one that's been sent to talk to me?" He turned to face her, a frown etched into his face. "I'm sure there are plenty of people suitable for the job."

"Let's just say you're an old family friend." She twisted the ring on her left hand; an action she reserved solely for being nervous.

"Who are you?" His frown became a look of confusion.

"Wow." She raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Pardon my ignorance but maybe you're really not as righteous as the stories have led me to believe."

"Excuse me?" It was his turn to look surprised.

"It's been a whole three minutes and you're only asking my name now."

"Well, ma'am, I have been asleep for the last 70 years so forgive me if my manners aren't up to scratch." He got out of his chair and moved towards her. "Now. _Who are you_?"

"Stark."

Rogers froze where he stood. He tried to formulate an answer but the words weren't coming out. How could this be possible? Why was that name back? It had been seventy years and they had never left the city?

"Agent Eleanor Maria Stark."

 


	2. One

**December 25, 1991**

This was the first year. His first Christmas alone. Yes, he had had lonely Christmases in the past. But he was never _alone._

They didn't even traditionally celebrate the holiday like other families. Normal families. There was no decorating the tree (the maid did that); no carving the turkey (the chef did that); no opening presents (his father just sent him money).  But, he supposed, he loved the holiday despite all the nothingness. He loved being home. With his mother, maybe even secretly loved being with his father too.

This year there was nothing. The annual party was cancelled. The house lay bare of all decoration. He couldn't stomach seeing the things that once brought him joy hanging in his home in a time like this. It made him feel mocked. The joy was there and only he was forbidden from feeling it.

God, he missed it. He didn't think he'd miss it. He only knew he'd miss it when it was already gone. He missed _them_. He never said that he loved his father. He never got to tell his mother that she was the most important person in his life.

He had nobody. At least that's what it seemed like from his point of view. He had whiskey. He had work. And what else? Nothing.

If his James Rhodes could read his best friend's mind he'd probably  cry. No, he didn't know what Tony was going through, but he'd do everything he could to get him through it. He'd do anything to show that he was there, that Tony could always rely on him.

Unfortunately, Tony was so grief stricken that he didn't care. Tony got drunk. Tony got drunker that night than he had ever been before and it took him months to come back down from it.

Obviously this was bound to be a difficult time for him but it ached for Rhodey to see him like this and, fucking hell, Obadiah was not helping. All he cared about was the tabloids and the company's future and yes, that was important, but for Christ's sake he's just lost his parents! Obadiah was too concentrated on shutting the tabloids up and paying journalists off that he didn't notice how far off the rails Tony had truly gone. He didn't notice until ten full months later. When something came out that was too big for him to hide. 

 

**October 18th, 1992**

"I have a _what_?" Tony had answered the phone call from his lawyer expecting to be greeted with the all too familiar telling off for doing something stupid. He really was not expecting what he was actually told. 

"Look, I didn't want to do this over the phone, Tony, but it was too urgent to wait. You need to come down to the office. Now." His lawyer hung up before he even had the opportunity to reply.

"Fuck!" Tony kicked the tire of the car he was working on in anger and tugged at the ends of his hair. How the fuck had he fucked up _this_ bad? First of all, Obi was going to kill him, second of all, how the Christ was he meant to raise a child? A daughter of all things! Where did he even get one of those?

He laughed bitterly. He knew exactly where he got one of those. Probably Christmas. His bitter laugh filled the empty room again; Saint Nick really knew how to make a boy's wish come true! 'Here you go Tony, fuck up another Stark! Just like your dad fucked you up! And his dad before him!'

Tony cried a bit. He wasn't even sure why he was crying but he noticed when he was tying his tie that there were tears staining his cheeks. God, what Howard would do if he saw him like this. He was big enough disappointment as it was and now _this_. 

He called Rhodey as he drove to the lawyer's office. He needed him to know before it broke. If Rhodey found out through a tabloid he'd probably kill someone. He was very protective over Tony, if it wasn't already abundantly clear from his reactions to Tony's actions. He supposed he'd been like that since they'd first met. Tony was a few years younger and Rhodey felt almost like a brother to him whenever they were introduced at that Fresher's party - and _definitely_ felt like a brother in the years in which their relationship had progressed. 

"Are you _positive_ she's mine?" Tony asked as he walked with his lawyer. The lawyer, an old friend of Howard Stark's, rolled his eyes. 

"Yes, Mr Stark. I'm positive." He handed Tony the file. Tony flicked through it quickly. Apparently, according to the file, the girl had been born only last month. The mother (Tony didn't recognise the name but, in fairness, he had been rather drunk from around December '92 to maybe August the following year) had been killed in a car accident two weeks prior to today. "She had four previous DUIs. It's incredible that she still even had a license at time of death."

Tony tugged at his collar then sighed deeply. "Let me meet her."

 

**October 31st, 1992**

_**Stark Empire Finds Its Princess**_ was Tony's favourite headline of the week. He cut it out from the newspaper he found it in and put it in a special book. A book he planned to save and give to his baby for her sixteenth birthday. 

He'd only known her for two weeks but he loved her more than any other person he had ever met. Obi was furious, of course, but that's his problem. Tony's baby girl was more important than Obadiah's anger. 

Tony changed her name when he formally adopted her. He named her Eleanor Maria. Eleanor because it sounded pretty, Maria after his mother. He felt the name was fitting as she was the prettiest human on this Earth and, just like his mother, she was incredibly kind. Yes, she was just a baby, but he _knew_ the sort of person she would grow up to be. He didn't know how he knew - he just did. 

 

**January 3rd, 1994**

His daughter was more than a year old. In that year and a bit, Stark Industries had begun to falter. He obviously didn't mean to neglect his duties it was just that every morning when he saw his beautiful baby's face smiling up at him that he couldn't help but take the day off to spend it with her. He was an amazing father - anyone that knew him could tell. In the beginning the media had tried to blast him but when he was seen with her in public and when stories of their relationship were leaked to the press, it was hard to keep trying to punish him.

Obadiah had tried to call him to work but he gave up eventually and began to shoulder most of the company responsibilities. Neither of the business partners seemed to care - it was really in both of their best interests; Tony got his baby and Obi got the company. Rhodey seemed to mind though. He thought there was something off about the company being called 'Stark' but there were no Starks currently involved in the proceedings. Tony realised he may have a point. He probably should be working more. But he didn't want to hire a nanny - he'd seen enough of them from ages one through fourteen to last him a lifetime. 

He needed an assistant. Someone to make him go to work every so often. He, Obi, pulled a few strings and set up an interview with an experienced current staff member of Stark Industries. She worked in Human Resources but was looking for something more interesting. 

"Ms Potts, I really don't want this to take too long. One question: how do you take your martinis?" Tony was bouncing Eleanor on his hip when he asked the confident looking redhead the question.

"Dry. Two olives," She replied. "May I ask what relevance this has to the job?"

Tony smiled. "I just like to know things about my employees." He held the door open for her, indicating that she should leave."You're hired, by the way."

 


	3. Two

**14th February, 2009**

Every valentines day for as long as she could remember, Ella was sent a bouquet of red roses from her dad. It didn't matter if he was on a business trip or if she was on holiday with friends: the roses would be given to Ella before noon each year. For reasons unknown to her, they hadn't arrived yet. She toyed with the idea that he had just forgotten but it didn't seem like something he would forget. Ella decided she would wait until night fell before she called her dad - the delivery was just late.

At 7pm, as her roommates were leaving the dorm in search of a frat party, Ella picked up her phone and dialled his number. He was somewhere that began with an 'A'  this week although she couldn't exactly remember where - he travelled a lot. She did know, however, that this call wouldn't be cheap but she had to make sure he was okay. It was _extremely_ weird for him to forget valentines day.

"You've reached Tony Stark. Leave a message after the tone - or don't, chances are I won't listen anyway."

"Hey, dad. It's El - happy valentines day! Love you." Ella hung up and sighed. She guessed that her old man had finally gotten himself a date. 

Years later, when asked what started it all, Ella would remember this date. She would tell people that the first sign was the absence of flowers - but she didn't know that yet. Right now, all that mattered to her was that her dad might have finally asked Pepper out on a date. So, she put her phone away, got changed, and headed out to the frat party to meet her friends.

 

**15th February, 2009**

"Stark!" Ella whipped her head around at the sound of her name being called from down the corridor. She stopped when she realised it was her roommate, Rachel. Ella stopped and turned, waiting for her to catch up. "They're looking for you at the front office? Something about 'not answering your cell'?"

Ella rolled her eyes. She was really going to have to have a chat with her father about calling up the university every time she missed his calls. She was about to thank Rachel when she felt her cell vibrate in her jacket pocket. She sighed and flipped her phone open, ready to tell her dad off.

Instead of hearing his voice when she answered, she heard the rough sound of a helicopter and the angered yell of her godfather. "Ella! Why aren't you picking up?" Ella grimaced at the volume he was speaking at - still hungover from the night before - and pulled her phone further away from her ear.

"I was in a lecture, Rhodey, because, y'know, I'm in school. Anyway, what could possibly be that important that you had to phone the office?" The sound of the helicopter was getting louder. Ella peered out the window attempting to get a good look at the sky.

"I'll be there in 2. Meet me in front of Maclaurin."

"Rhodey? Rhodey, what? I'm at school you can't just -" she looked at her phone to see he hung up. "And he hung up on me."

Ella sighed and informed Rachel that she would see her back at the dorm before they parted ways.

Ella made her way outside aware that the sound of a, what seemed to be invisible as of yet, helicopter was growing louder. She didn't notice the aircraft until it was landing to the gapes of what seemed like just about everyone on campus. She chucked her books on the ground and stormed over to it, ducking her head to avoid the strong winds that the rotary blades were providing.

"Just because you're an alumnus does not mean -" Ella began angrily upon seeing the colonel exiting the helicopter.

"E, we have to talk. Privately." His voice was laced with sobriety.

"Where's dad?" Ella stood on her tiptoes and peered over the man's shoulders. "I presume he's why you're here?"

Rhodey stepped down from the helicopter and moved closer to her so the pair didn't have to shout and be overheard by onlookers. "El -"

"Rhodey." Ella glared at him. "I'm not moving until you tell me what's going on."

"He's -" Rhodey struggled before changing his mind. "Listen, we can't do this in public. Please, come home."

"I have school! I can't just get up and leave!"

"Please don't make me do this." Rhodey looked strained. 

"Do wh-" Ella didn't get to finish her question as Rhodey had already picked her up and swung her over his shoulder. "This isn't funny! Put me down!" 

Rhodey didn't set her back down until he had shut the door and the helicopter had taken off from the ground. "We need to talk."

"You just kidnapped me!" Rhodey winced but Ella was too annoyed to notice. "I have absolutely nothing to say to you."

The pair sat in silence for the whole journey back to New York - including the transfer from helicopter to private jet in Boston Logan International. Rhodey kept glancing nervously at his goddaughter but she seemed genuinely, actually angry at him. Ella sat away from him, arms folded, looking out the window; she was very aware of how childish this seemed but he abducted her from her college campus in broad daylight. He wasn't the one that had to deal with people his senior trying to challenge his intelligence every single day just because he wasn't technically college age and now, on top of all of that, she would have to deal with being the rich girl whose godfather literally dropped down in a helicopter and dragged her home. 

Rhodey was angry with himself for how he had approached this but she _had_ to know. It didn't matter that she was annoyed with him as long as she knew. She had to know before the press knew or he would never forgive himself. He promised Tony years ago that he would protect Ella no matter what and here he was, faced with that responsibility, with no idea what to do - or even where to begin. 

A solemn looking Happy Hogan greeted them as they stepped off Tony's plane in New York. "Really, Happy? You too?" Ella rolled her eyes and got into the back of the car and proceeded to scowl and stare out that window too. Rhodey mouthed an apology to Happy before climbing into the backseat with Ella. 

"We really do need to talk, Ella." Rhodey rarely called her by her 'full' name. It was always 'E' or 'El'. This almost made her turn around. Almost. She decided the more appropriate action was to scoff and give him the middle finger. Rhodey was just about ready to start crying at this point but he held it together for her. For Tony. 

As soon as they arrived at the Stark's Brooklyn home (Ella's favourite residence of the many her father owned simply because of how 'normal' it seemed) Ella jumped from the car and stormed towards the building. Rhodey swore and ran towards the back entrance. He was waiting at the door to Ella's bedroom before she had even managed to get into the foyer. 

"We're doing this. Now." Rhodey stepped in front of her before she could manage to leave. 

"What? What could possibly be so important that you have to tell me in person, in my favourite house, away from school without my dad?" Ella fumed, arms crossed. 

"He's missing," Rhodey blurted out before he could stop himself.

"Funny one," Ella made a face at him. "Now, what's the truth?"

Rhodey looked at his feet, ashamed that he had told her like that. Tony was going to kick his ass when he found out. If he found out. 

"You're lying." A look of horror was making its way to her face as she shook her head. "Rhodey this isn't funny." She could hear her own heart beating in this deafening silence. Silence so deafening because she _knew_ what it meant. 

Rhodey stayed quiet and raised his eyes to look at her. Rhodey was cursing himself for how horrendously he had tackled this. There were about two thousand different ways he could've told her and he decided to just yell it at her? He was about to tell Ella that he was sorry but she spoke before he could manage to say anything more.

"Rhodey. Rhodey, please," Ella pleaded with her godfather as the panic and fear began to rise in her throat. "''Please tell me this is a sick twisted joke and he's actually waiting downstairs." She was half aware of how ridiculous she sounded but she didn't know what else to do. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be. It's all just a joke.

The second that Rhodey shook his head, Ella knew it was over. Her life was gone. She had nothing. No one. The fear consumed her. Her vision went cloudy. Her hearing was reduced to white noise. It was all she could do to continue breathing. This is it. Her knees hit the carpeted landing before Rhodey could catch her. This is the end.

"Ella!" Rhodey stuck his arms under hers and attempted to haul her back to her feet but she couldn't stand. She couldn't even think. "Happy, start the car!" He held her in his arms and ran down the stairs and out the front door to the car. What the _fuck_ was he going to do?

 

**17th March, 2009**

Ella woke up to the increasingly more familiar sounds of the hospital ward. She was annoyed at herself for being here. Her dad was missing for Christ's sake and here she was lying in a hospital bed for the third day in a row. She honestly didn't even know why they had felt the need to keep her here for so long. Sure, the first night was for observation, but two nights just seemed like overkill. She was _fine_. 

"Morning, sunshine." Pepper walked into the room holding two cups of Starbucks coffee in one hand and a garment bag in the other. Ella visibly perked up upon seeing her and Pepper smiled. "Home time."

Pepper helped Ella get dressed and handed her her coffee. Ella was desperately excited to finally be leaving New York. She'd come to hate the Brooklyn home, a place that once brought her many happy memories was now ruined with the absence of her father. It was time to go back to Malibu. 

 

**22nd April, 2009**

"I can't do this anymore, Pepper!" Ella yelled as she swiped everything off her desk and onto the floor. Tears were pouring down her face and she had lost total control of the person she used to be. She had just been on the phone with Obadiah who wanted her to go back to school and kick Pepper out of the Malibu Mansion. Why? He hadn't spoken to her in _weeks_ and now all of a sudden he cared about her education? Cared about who her legal guardian was? Bullshit. 

"Don't you dare say that, Ella. You are the strongest person I know and you can do this. You _will_ do this. It'll only be a few more weeks. Rhodey will find him." Pepper felt like she was trying to convince herself rather than the distraught teen before her. She was losing it without Tony here but she had more important things to worry about than her own feelings - namely, the feelings of Ella. Ella was almost like a daughter to Pepper and it shattered her heart to see her so upset.

"Pep, I just miss him so much." Ella didn't stop Pepper when she put her arms around her and brought her into a comforting embrace. Ella honestly didn't know where she'd be without Pepper, Happy and Rhodey. Probably, she surmised, dead in a ditch. 

Hours later, when Ella had gone to bed, exhausted from the day's stressfulness, Pepper and Happy sat in Tony's disused lab and talked. They were worried about Ella. Worried about her current state of constant anxiety and sadness and worried about what might happen if her father never came home. They knew they should've discussed what they would do weeks ago but there hope had held out until tonight, what with Obadiah appearing to lose his. They would never tell Ella this - nor Rhodey - but they were genuinely fearful that they would never get him back. 

Happy had tried to tell Pepper that he would watch over Ella if worst came to worst in order to let her and Rhodey continue with their careers but she absolutely was not having it. Ella was only sixteen she still needed a guardian for another two and a half years but, 'no offence, Happy, you're not nearly responsible enough'. Granted, Ella would probably continue back at MIT but how long would it take her to get to the point where she felt she could continue?

No, they agreed. The three of them would stay and care for Ella. Pepper would, of course, have to help her with the running of Stark Industries as she really hadn't been taught about it - Tony having wanted her to have as normal of a childhood as she could. Rhodey would be able to be there for her as much as he could but he was a Colonel in the US Army, he wouldn't always be available. Happy would be there when Rhodey couldn't. Happy would be there whenever he was needed. 

Pepper and Happy went to bed that night with heavy hearts - terrified for what the future held for both of the Starks. 

 

**2nd May, 2009**

It was 4am and Ella had awoken to the sound of yelling from the floor beneath her room. She got out of bed and shrugged her bathrobe on, prepared to go tell whoever was awake to keep it down. She had just reached the bottom of the stairs when she collided with Happy. He smiled at her, eyes shining with what, in the darkness, looked like tears. Now this was weird. Ella doesn't think she's ever seen him cry and nor did she ever think she would. 

"Hap?" Ella whispered. "What the hell is going on?"

"It's your dad." Happy put his hand on her arm. She froze where she stood. "They've found him. He's alive. He's coming home."

Ella clapped a hand to her mouth and laughed happily. It was finally happening. He was finally coming home to her. On impulse, she threw her arms around Happy and hugged him harder than she thinks she's ever hugged someone before. They only broke apart when Pepper switched the light on and came towards them holding a bottle of champagne and 3 glasses.

"Don't tell your dad," Pepper grinned as she poured them all a glass.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Ella clinked her glass with both Pepper's and Happy's as they toasted to Tony's safety. 

By 5am they were all sitting on the couch awaiting another call from Rhodey or Tony. So far the Department of Defence had called them to inform them that Tony had been found yesterday at 11.32pm Afghanistan time and was questioned there and then sent to Germany for medical analysis and debriefing. Initially, they were annoyed that they had waited 18 hours to inform them he had been found but by this point they just wanted him home. They just wanted to know _when_ he would be home. 

The phone rang suddenly and shook them out of the stupor they had slipped into. Everyone jumped from their seats to get the phone but Pepper was the first to reach it and she answered quickly. She only managed to say two sentences before she handed the phone to Ella. Ella raised her eyebrows before taking the phone and pressing it to her ear.

"Is this Eleanor Maria Stark?" the voice asked.

"This is she." 

"Your father will be returning home tomorrow at approximately 6am, your time."

"What? Why isn't he coming home today? Is everything alright?" Ella was worried now.

"Yes, ms Stark. I assure you that everything is perfectly fine. He must go through debriefing before being sent home."

"Can I at least speak to him?" Sadness had crept into Ella's voice.

"I'm afraid not. Goodbye, now." The other line hung up and Ella stood defeated. She told Pepper and Happy what they had said. She wasn't quite sure how she was going make it another day but she figured that she had made it this far - what was a day?

 

**3rd May, 2009**

Hell, it turned out, was another day. It was 5am once more and they had assembled as a group once more. This time they were in the car on the way to the airport. The sun was rising and Ella hadn't been this happy in _months_. She couldn't stop smiling the whole drive there. Happy and Pepper were happy as well, of course, but they were also afraid of what they would have to tell Tony about Ella. They tried to raise the issue but Ella waved them out - seemingly oblivious to the issues that might arise if Tony didn't know. 

Ella began crying as soon as she saw her father. He stood up from a wheel chair and grabbed hold of Rhodey's hand. The pair walked slowly from the top of the jet and it was agonising. It took every bit of willpower Ella had to stop herself from running towards him but she had been told to wait in the car. For some reason Happy and Pepper seemed to think something that they couldn't hide from Tony might happen if she stood outside. 

As she sat and watched Tony speak to Pepper she couldn't take it any more. She flung open the door and rounded the car to face Tony. "Daddy," Ella found herself calling her father the name she hadn't called him since she was about ten years old. It just slipped out and it seemed to mean something to Tony as he too found himself crying as he pulled his only child into a hug. 

God, he had _missed_ her. He was scared that he was going to die and leave her behind. Thinking of her was the only thing that kept him sane. Kept him alive. Knowing that if he left, she would become an orphan and he couldn't put her through what he had been through all those years before. 

"I love you, so much," Tony whispered as he gripped her tight. The sight of the pair had set others' surrounding them to cry a few tears themselves. As they broke apart to get into the car, Pepper and Happy exchanged a look of understanding and knew that they definitely couldn't tell Tony anything.

Ella held her father's hand as they walked into Stark Industries HQ. She was dimly aware of the cameras flashing around her but she did her best to ignore them, instead focusing on her father. As Tony walked up towards the podium, Ella loitered behind next to Rhodey and Pepper - not aiming to be the centre of all the attention.

The conference was going smoothly until the last sentence of Tony's speech:

“Effective immediately, I  am shutting down the weapons manufacturing division of Stark Industries International.”

It all seemed to go rather slowly at first. the drink had slipped from her hand before she even had a chance to think about it. Her mouth fell open in shock as she stumbled backwards into the arms of Pepper. as her drink clattered to the ground with a resounding thump, she locked eyes with her father as those towards the back of the crowd turned to stare at her. It was the first time she’d been seen publicly since he had been taken and she’d blown it. She’d promised both Happy and Obadiah that nothing would happen yet she'd failed almost immediately. 

She quickly flicked her eyes from Tony to Obi to see him shaking his head in disappointment. Why did she always have to do this? She always had to do something stupid and ruin things for everyone else. Always had to find a way to make things about her own problems.

The world began to speed up once more as Pepper spun the two of them around, still holding a firm grip on Ella’s arms, doing her best to keep her grounded. Rhodey soon came over and pushed back the few journalists that had separated from the main crowd, as he marched the two women towards the elevator. “It’ll be alright, El. Nothing bad's going to happen,” he whispered quietly as they stepped into the elevator.

Ella appreciated the kind words but it was too late for them now. It was all she could do to stay upright, but at least Pepper’s arms that were now wrapped around her shoulders were something gave her something to cling on to. 

“Rhodey, i think -“ was all Ella managed to get out before she fainted. Pepper stumbled with the sudden weight but was quickly supported by Rhodey who took the girl from pepper’s arms.

“Tony is going to kill us" Rhodey tried to joke but not succeeding very well as there was clear worry in his tone.

“Rhodey!” Pepper chided as she unlocked the door to Tony’s office. Rhodey placed Ella down on the couch at the back of the room and left the room to go stand outside the door, lest someone try to come in. Pepper got Ella a glass of orange juice before sitting back down next to her. There was no way in hell they could hide this incident from Tony. 

"Hey," Pepper whispered as Ella slowly came to. "No, don't sit up. Your dad'll be here soon."

Just as she said that Tony burst into the room. "What's wrong? Ella?" Tony frantically made his way to his daughter as she was trying to regain her senses. Tony placed a hand against her forehead to check for a fever then upon finding none he started to question Pepper about what had happened. 

"I'm fine, dad. Just lightheaded," Ella said as she sat up and took her dad's hand. The absolute last thing she wanted was her dad to be worrying about her. 

"Fine, you need to get back to school then." Tony surprised them all when he said that but, then again, he didn't know how long she'd been off. 

"I -" Ella looked at Pepper before sighing. "Yeah, I'll pack my things when we get home and leave tomorrow morning."

 

 

 

 


End file.
